Puppy Love
by BadJuju95
Summary: Bella Baggins is the local veterinarian in the small city of Bree. Nothing in her life was exceptional or unusual and she liked it that way, thank you very much. But that just might change the second a tall, dark, and handsome stranger walks into her clinic and demands she saves his dog.
1. Chapter 1

The feeling of a wet tongue on her cheek never failed to wake her up in the morning.

"Alright, alright! I'm getting up," she said with a slight laugh in her voice. Bella had to use her hands to push the great slobbering beast away from her so she could sit up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She couldn't help but smile when she saw the enormous dog looking at her with the near perfect depiction of puppy eyes, his heavy tail wagging against the bed with a soft thump.

As she swung her legs out of the bed, the dog nearly sprinted over to where his leash was, grabbing it in his mouth and bringing it back to promptly set it in Bella's lap.

"You know the rules, Mr. Darcy," she scolded, rubbing the dog's massive head as he let out a soft whine. "Breakfast first, walk after." She set the now slobber covered leash down and padded towards the kitchen, the Bernese Mountain Dog lumbering after her as he always did. She had been given the dog as a birthday present from her parents, who had been told by their close friend Gandalf that the pup would only reach half of his current size. The meddlesome man most likely knew that her parents would never agree on the dog if they knew how big he would really get.

After a hearty breakfast of poached eggs, maple glazed sausages (of which Bella happily shared) and a large helping of freshly made scones with jam, Bella quickly tamed her unruly honey brown hair back into a messy bun and threw on her favourite old pair of faded jeans and burgundy jumper. She wrapped a thick scarf around her neck and pulled on some tall brown leather boots, nearly falling over in the process, before heading out of her small apartment with a very happy Mr. Darcy in tow.

The street was bustling with activity, despite the fast that it was barely past seven. Bella wrapped the scarf a little tighter around her neck to protect her from the cool autumn air as she set off down the paved sidewalk, Mr. Darcy obediently walking at her side. People were often skeptical of how a woman Bella's size could control a dog as big as Darcy, but after some training he had become quite manageable (after a few mishaps of being dragged down the street when he was an excitable pup) and listened to almost everything Bella said. They made a long loop around the block before walking into Bella's work.

"Good morning Miss Baggins!"

"Good morning to you, Bofur," she said with a smile to her receptionist. "And for the hundredth time, you know I hate being called that." She took off Darcy's leash and headed into the back to prepare as Darcy plopped down on his large bed right next to Bofur's desk. She came back out after having changed into some more comfortable shoes and her flower patterned scrubs. "What do we have on the agenda today?"

"Well," Bofur said before pausing to flip through his agenda, which was filled with notes as well as some elaborate doodles in the margins. He had used to hide them from Bella, as he thought she would be mad, but Bella loved the way he drew intricate designs for his crazy invention ideas and encouraged it whole-heartedly. "Bombur is coming in with Lopsy at 8 for a routine checkup, at 9:30 Miss Primula is coming in with Daisy for her spay, and um…" He paused and gave Bella a look of sympathy. "Lobelia will be here at 2 with Rosie."

"Of course," Bella groaned. Ever since she had opened her veterinary practice in Bree, her cousin Lobelia had seen it fit to come in every month. There was never anything wrong with her little Pomeranian Rosie, but Lobelia always insisted that her 'precious little angel' was on the verge of death. "Wish me luck," she said to Bofur with a tight smile before heading into the back room to prep for the day.

"You'll need more than luck to deal with that crazy bit-" Bofur called, but thankfully the door closed before she could hear the end of _that_ sentence.

Mondays tended to be pretty quiet in terms of appointments, and much of the day was left open for walk ins and emergencies. Bella made sure that all of her equipment was sterilised before checking in on her only overnight patient, an old cat owned by her neighbour Hamfast who had been having some problems urinating. She had performed surgery on him the day before for kidney stones and was keeping him under observation for the next few days. After she made sure he was eating and using the restroom properly, she set about her day.

Everything went smoothly as it could that day. Bofur's brother came by with his black rabbit Lopsy. Bombur was Bofur's brother and was a cook at one of the best restaurants in Bree. He often thanked her for taking care of his pet by giving her top secret recipes, for which Bella was extremely grateful, but also kind of hated him for it (she secretly blamed her gaining an extra five pounds last summer on the utterly divine mulled wine duck recipe he had given her.) Lopsy was given a clean bill of health and Bella made friendly conversation with Bombur until Primula came in with her puppy. Daisy went under for a perfectly routine spay with no complications and once the sedatives wore off she was sent home with Prim to heal quietly at home.

Figuring she had a few more quiet hours, Bella settled down in the break room with her lunch. She had barely taken a bite of her roast beef sandwich when she heard a commotion coming from the lobby. She quickly ran out and flung open the door, pausing at her tracks at the scene in front of her.

"Please, you must help her!" A man was shouting at Bofur, who was fumbling with the phone in a panic, most likely trying to page Bella. The man held a small dog in his arms, who looked to be in a state of shock and was utterly still except for the rapid rise and fall of its chest.

"What's going on here?" Bella said, finally moving towards the man but nearly pausing as a pair of intimidating ocean blue eyes locked onto her. _Oh. Bloody hell, he's handsome,_ she thought fleetingly. She shook her head and quickly composed herself as the dark haired man turned towards her.

"My dog, she got startled and ran into the street before I could catch her," the man said, and Bella could detect the worry and guilt in his baritone voice. "She got hit by a car, and she couldn't get up - she couldn't move and-"

"It's alright," Bella said, cutting the man off before he continued his panicked ramble. "We are going to do everything we can to help her, I promise." She reached out for the little dog, and the man, almost reluctantly, like his dog would immediately die if he let her go, handed her over. Bella gave the man a small reassuring smile before going back into vet mode and looking towards Bofur. "Call Tauriel and get her to come down. I'm going to need her help," she said before swiftly turning on her heel and heading out back.

"Please. Please save my Lizzie," she heard the man called after her, and Bella's heart ached at the pain in his voice.

She had just finished taken little Lizzie's x-rays when Tauriel walked in, the tall redhead seemingly out of breath from having rushed over. Tauriel worked down the street at the local library most of the time but happily helped Bella out from time to time in emergencies such as this.

"What have we got, Doc?" Tauriel asked, coming go stand beside Bella as the veterinarian held the developed x-rays up to the light, squinting slightly so she could see better.

"Poor little thing," Bella sighed, her heart sinking at what she saw. "Two fractured ribs, but no sign of a punctured lung which is good. Her left rear leg is a mess. Tibia broken in several places, femur cracked clean in half. Right rear leg looks mostly fine on the interior, but she has road rash all over her right side and I suspect she'll be quite bruised and sore all over for the next week." Bella placed the scans down and turned to the little dog, who was lying on a steel table. "Right then, let's get her prepped. Hold on Lizzie dear, we'll get you through this."

The two women both set to work and buckled down for a long and arduous surgery. Bella set her mouth in a thin line, praying to Yavanna that her patient would make it through.


	2. Chapter 2

"Remind me, why are we here again?" Thorin asked his business partner while looking out the car window. He watched the small, almost rustic looking buildings pass by as they drove through the small city, his hand resting on the back of the small dog that sat in his lap.

"Business contract," his companion grumbled as he navigated the car through the streets, which oddly had way too many turns and curves for a city, even a small one. "Someone requested a commissioned piece made especially by you, though I don't see why he couldn't just get someone here to do it." The bald man let out a string of curses as he quickly maneuvered around a horse and cart of all things.

"You're just pissed about the long drive, Dwalin," Thorin said with an amused smirk. "The sooner we meet with this man, the sooner I can get this thing done and we can get back to Erebor." It had been nearly a four hour drive from their much larger city of Erebor, which seemed even larger now compared to this place. He had to admit, Bree had its charms. There was a merchant stall on almost every corner, selling various fruits, vegetables, and homemade items. The town had its fair share of pubs as well, and to Thorin it seemed like almost everyone knew each other, pausing on their way to work or the store to chat with another passerby.

The car finally pulled to a stop outside of a large townhouse, and Thorin got out, holding his dog Lizzie in his arms. Dwalin came around from the other side of the car, watching as a man opened the door of the townhouse and descended the stairs.

"You must be Mr Grey," Thorin said, reaching out to shake the older man's hand after setting his dog down by his feet.

"Indeed," the man responded, looking down at Thorin and Dwalin through squinted eyes. "But you may call me Gandalf. I have seen your handiwork and I must say, it is impressive. I asked you here because I would like to commission a necklace for my niece's birthday, but we can talk more about that inside," Gandalf hummed, turning to head back towards the stairs.

Thorin exchanged a look with Dwalin before he started to follow Gandalf up the steps. Suddenly, a car that had been driving past suddenly veered and drove up onto the sidewalk, accelerating into a light pole. Caught off guard by the crash Thorin didn't have time to get a tight hold on Lizzie's leash, and the dog pulled it right out of his hands as she ran away from the horrible sound in a panic. She darted out into the street between two parked cars, and Thorin could feel his heart stop as he heard tires squealing and the telltale sound of a dog in pain. He ran out in the road, stopping to kneel at Lizzie's side. She tried to get up when she saw her owner but was clearly struggling. There was blood staining her white fur and the pavement, and Thorin ever so carefully picked the little dog up in his arms, careful not to jostle her.

"I-is she alright? My goodness I-I didn't see her I-"

"Where is the nearest vet?!" Thorin yelled, cutting off the driver of the car that had struck Lizzie and striking the man with his own icy glare.

"T-that would be Dr Baggins'," the man stuttered. "Take the next l-left and the clinic is n-next to the bookstore past the s-second s-s-set of lights."

No sooner had the man stuttered out the directions had Thorin turned and started running, clutching Lizzie to his chest as he went off in search of the vet. He heard Dwalin's angry voice as his friend stayed behind to speak to the driver, no doubt trying to get him to cover the medical bills. But that was the least of his worries. Thorin looked down at the small thing cradled in his arms as she gave a soft whine and picked up his pace.

 _Stay with me Lizzie. Stay with me…_

* * *

Thorin Durinson was not a patient man. It was evident to anyone that happened to walk by the small veterinary office and looked in the window to see the man pacing the length of the lobby. He had managed to stay still long enough to fill out the paperwork the receptionist with the funny hat had given him before he began pacing.

He felt a nudge against his thigh and looked down to see a large dog peering back up at him. He hadn't noticed the animal in his panic earlier, but no one else had come in so the dog must have been here the whole time. He knelt down in front of the dog and examined his collar for a name.

"Mr Darcy?" Thorin read on the bone shaped tag, his eyebrow raising slightly. _Who the bloody hell gives their dog a name like that?_ He turned the tag over to read the name on the back. "Bella Baggins…" he read aloud.

"I see you've met Mr Darcy," a woman's voice came from behind him. Thorin stood and turned to see the veterinarian from earlier. She was a petite woman, short with soft round curves. Her button nose was covered in a soft spattering of freckles and a few curls of honey brown hair had escaped from her bun. Her hazel eyes met his, crinkling slightly at the corners.

"How is she?" Thorin asked, feeling his heart begin to pick up speed. "Is she.."

The woman raised her hand, effectively stopping him in his tracks. "She is still alive and mostly well Mister…?" Her head tilted to the side slightly as she ended her sentence in a question.

"Durinson," Thorin replied quickly, reaching his hand out. "Thorin Durinson. How bad was it?"

"Dr Bella Baggins," the woman replied, taking his hand in her own and giving it a firm shake. He noticed how warm her small hand felt, and immediately felt the loss of it when she pulled it away. Bella tucked a loose curl behind her ear before responding. "We had to put a few pins in her leg to reconnect the bones and put them in the proper position. She has two fractured ribs that should heal fine on their own with rest, and I've put ointment and bandages on her external wounds that will need to be changed daily." She paused and gave him another small smile. "You can come in and see her if you'd like."

All Thorin could do was nod, and he followed Bella in through the swinging door that led to the back operating room. The redhead that had come through the lobby earlier - Tauriel, he remembered - was standing next to the steel table that Lizzie was laying on, writing some notes onto a clipboard. Without hesitation Thorin went over, leaning over the table and gently placing a hand on the small dog's head.

"She's still under anaesthesia, but should be waking up shortly," Dr Baggins said as she came to stand beside him.

"I can't thank you enough for doing this, Doctor." Thorin looked over at the small woman, who waved her hand at his remark.

"No need to thank me, Mr Durinson. I would have helped her in a heartbeat." And there was that smile again, only there for a moment before it was replaced with a frown as a soft whine came from Lizzie, who was beginning to wake. "I know love, it must hurt a great deal," Bella said, turning to go over towards another table. When she turned around, she was holding a needle filled with a clear fluid. She must have seen a look of concern on Thorin's face for she gave a light laugh. "Not to worry, this is just a painkiller. Something to help her be a little more comfortable." She inserted the needle into Lizzie's IV and threw the now empty needle into the proper disposal bin.

Thorin relaxed slightly and looked back down at sweet little Lizzie, who's tail started to wag slightly once she realised that he was in front of her. He gave the pup a small smile, stroking her behind the ear like he knew she loved.

"Due to the extent of her injuries, I'd like to keep her for a few days and make sure she is healing properly," Bella said in a small voice. She had been watching how tenderly Thorin had been watching Lizzie and almost hated to interrupt the moment. "I will of course keep you updated if anything changes, and I will let you know when she is free to go home."

"Thank you, Dr Baggins," Thorin said, giving Lizzie a soft kiss on the nose before standing up straight. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, handing over to Bella. "Here is my number. Please don't hesitate to call for any reason." He watched the colour rise in the woman's cheeks, and found himself liking the way she looked when she blushed. He quickly pushed the thought away and reverted back to his usually stoney expression. "Take good care of her."

"Absolutely," Bella said, the colour slow to fade from her face. She walked Thorin out to the lobby and bid him farewell, and Thorin couldn't help but spare one last glance back at her as he walked out of the door into the cool autumn air.


End file.
